a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by b_b
b_b  ·  170 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: November 15, 2023

Without getting into the technical details of the work I do, I have a certain amount of expertise in sex hormones, at least as they relate to the brain. One curious aspect of SSRIs that is not paid nearly enough attention to is that one of the ways in which they work is to increase a certain hormone called allopregnaolone, whose primary function in the brain is to make receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA much more sensitive. Curiously, Prozac, e.g., causes this change at about 10x lower of a dose than what the typical starting clinical dose is. However, the typical response to drugs not working is to increase dosage. My opinion is that people are generally already far overdosed and that docs should start way lower than they normally do. I, obviously, have no idea what your history is and I wouldn’t in a million years pretend to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. However, what I will say, and what I say to anyone on your shoes, is that if you ever choose to do SSRIs again, start small and give it time. Your doctor will push back. Don’t let them. Happy to share more if you’re interested and also happy to butt out.